It seems like we’re coming into the winter of discontent once more—whether or not it’s rail employees, nurses, lecturers and driving examiners, it could appear everyone seems to be taking strike motion as they name for pay rises in step with inflation. Even ambulance employees are to carry their first strike for thirty years.
Whereas most employers will look to keep away from industrial motion, there might subsequently come a time in each unionized employer’s existence when such motion is threatened.
Good communication round strikes may be difficult
Companies or organizations trying to handle communication round such strikes should steadiness the necessity to keep optimistic relations with workers and commerce unions, while on the identical time defending their enterprise. When it comes to inner communications, employers ought to interact immediately with workers and keep away from permitting conversations to be funneled by means of the commerce union with which they’re negotiating. This may assist to make sure that the communication precisely represents the employer’s present place. It might additionally stop points from needlessly escalating by means of a technique of Chinese language whispers.
With exterior communications, it may be trickier to manage the narrative
There are some massively efficient union representatives, together with RMT common secretary Mick Lynch, who’s arguably essentially the most well-known union official and has proven himself to be a grasp communicator. Regardless of the disruption, Mr. Lynch has been capable of win over the general public and has been constantly praised by his supporters for his clear communication model and for getting one over his opponents with blunt politeness.
To be able to counter that, it’s essential to be equally clear in your communications
It’s essential to make sure you get the precise info out and throughout all channels—together with the media, your web site, social media channels. It’s key that wherever prospects or stakeholders get their info they’ll discover it simply. The assertion ought to present clear element on how the strike will have an effect on stakeholders. It must also reassure all audiences affected that the employer is working collaboratively to resolve the problem as rapidly as doable.
With an growing variety of strikes deliberate, there’s a hazard that the general public turn out to be desensitized to strike motion and zone out. The data you select to speak should subsequently be clear, concise and supply the data that’s required—so if trains are cancelled, does it have an effect on all companies; if ambulance employees are on strike, what do you do within the case of a real emergency?
By offering this info as quickly as doable you may take away a number of the uncertainty round deliberate strike motion and permit individuals to make various plans the place doable. It’s equally essential that if plans change final minute and strikes are suspended or cancelled that you just talk that rapidly and clearly, to stop an info vacuum from growing.
